World Distribution and Trade in Neem Products with Reference to their Potential in China

Neem is regarded as a promising tree species which can be utilized in various ways to benefit agricultural communities throughout the world. Scientists and entrepreneurs are paying considerable attention to its potential value as a source of biopesticides through extracts from neem seeds, bark, and wood. Azadiraction the most important active compound from neem seeds and other plant parts has natural insecticidal properties and may be a potential substitute for synthetic pesticides which are widely used in crop production in China. However the distribution of neem trees among major producing countries, the trade in neem products on the world market, and potential supplies of azadiractin for China are not widely known, a topic which will be addressed in this paper